I bought the R7. At 48 years old, it’s my first “real” camera. I could not be happier. Got the kit lens and the 100-400mm lens. This combination of kit has allowed me implement many of the things you talk bout in your videos and speed up my learning. It has been awesome. Thanks for the videos.
Brilliant review. I was fortunate to pick up a used R7 while on holiday in Nevada, walked into a camera shop in Reno and they had the R7 with 100 actuations for a price of $1199. Couldn’t help myself. I mainly shoot aviation and find your tutorials more useful for setting up cameras etc as you give greater detail. Thank you for your efforts. You are absolute gold.
Great review! I think I've made my decision to get the R7 based on it. There have been some negative reviews of this camera around, which gave me pause, but this information is thorough, based on usability, bang for buck, and image quality. So many reviewers seem to be more interested in their own personalities and self aggrandizing, witty rabble rousing, etc. Duade sticks to the point! And the pics inlcuded are awesome!🤠
14:50 a quick explanation why the ISO changes the file size: Canon‘s RAW is always compressed. RAW is lossless compressed and CRAW is lossy compressed. Compression works by removing duplications and patterns. Increasing the ISO increases noise. 100% noise cannot be compressed at all since it is (even by definition) free of patterns. Sony‘s uncompressed RAWs don’t exhibit that phenomenon because it’s uncompressed and thus storing the data form the sensor without computation but it’s also about twice the size of a Canon RAW file.
By far and away the BEST review of the R7 out there. I was seriously interested in the R7 as a 2nd body to my R5. I started this whole wildlife photography a little over 2 years ago with an M50 and a 100-400 ii after an much earlier fail 30 years ago when my Dad (a wild life photographer) passed and left me a lot of photography gear including many bodies, motor winders, lenses along with all the dark room gear. Well, it was just mind boggling and I never was able to get any good photos with that kit and gave up. About 30 years later I was trying to make a video of me playing the guitar and I sprung for my 1st new camara in 30 years the M50. Well by comparison to the old Nikon, Hasselblad etc., gear my dad left me it blew me away and I thought well maybe now I could. That’s when I found you and purchased the 100 to 400 ii. I have a great dealer close by who is quite fair on trade ups (a good thing). I traded up to an R6 as I was struggling with fast moving birds. Well, being the dummy, I am I never realized how much reach I was about to lose and when I went out for my 1st session with my new R6 I was deflated. Duade to the rescue and I bought the RF 800 and was back in business. It’s just gone on from there. Thanks to Duade I am getting some decent shots and I am happily broke 😊. I think I will wait for the R6 ii as my second body, just to keep all the buttons the same. If I started with the R7, I probably would still be shooting an R7. The eye tracking, 15 FPS, pixels on the target and reach were really the big game changers for me and the reasons for all my subsequent upgrades all the way to the R5. The R7 has it all and for HOW MUCH $$$ wow.
Great to hear mate, yes, I suspect the R62 will be a nice improvement over the R6. I do wish the R7 had slightly better specs but for its price it performs very well. Cheers, Duade
Great story. I think an old Hasselblad still has a use. Unbelievable lenses and the need to plan every shot. Like my old Bronica ETRS and Fuji 6x9. When you have a tripod, a sunset over the Grand Canyon, the ability to understand metering and exposure compensation and Fuji Velvia 50, nothing comes close. Of course nowadays the crazy cost of film and, most importantly, the lack of high quality consumer film scanners are limitations. As a compromise I’ve just taken delivery of a Fuji X100 VI to get back into careful composition, high keeper hit rates, as well as the lovely film simulations, IBIS and weight/size. I guess it depends on the game of wait, machine gun like firing, and binning most shots that wildlife photographers need to do vs crafted shots. Mirrorless and cropped sensor cameras are great for wildlife. Olympus are superb for outdoors types, especially the Pro II. However, a 5D mk 3, on a tripod, with a prime L lens and mirror lock is still awesome for landscape and architecture. Depends on which tools and which sub trade. I’m still considering a new R7 for the extra reach but for a laugh tried the little EOS M5 on the fantastic VFM EF 70-300 mkII using the converter. It’s not up to bird watching but at 480mm and the great IS in the lens delivers great results for, in my case, no money. As an aside, I was in a top photo shop in London last week and asked the pro why the R converter mounts are impossible to find. He was pretty sanguine. ‘They are holding them back so they force the buyer to invest in new R lenses and they are more expensive than the older EF and EF-S lenses we all have (12 in my case). It’s called system lock in by the Harvard Business School crowd, so until a mount comes available I’m resisting this. Might even sell up and defect to Fuji or Olympus. The new OM1 mk 2 looks awesome and great VFM.
Thank you for the review and sharing your experience with us, i have bought an R7 with the 18-150 lens plus the 100-400 telephoto lens off the back of your comments, in my daytime job I am in nanoscience, so I appreciate product progression, as you say this is a lot of camera for the money and there are always people who buy a Volkswagen and complain it doesn’t handle like a Ferrari, we are getting what we pay for, there could be improvements that can be covered by updates, it’s nice to see the results you have got from this kit. Thanks again
I just bought it (3 weeks ago) in combination with the RF 100-500. I was coming from an 80D + 400mm F5.6, and the difference is massive. Photographing now is like a different experience. The IBIS from the R7 and the IS from the lens make the image perfectly still, to the point I can handhold video and make it usable… at 800mm! That’s just crazy to me. I can take pics at 1/125 in a dark cloudy day with 800mm in my hands without a tripod and still get plenty of sharp shots, even of small and fast birds. I can shoot now plenty of species just by walking around in the woods, which I could never do before. The live view is very useful and helps a lot with burnt whites, making me have more keepers. The viewfinder is so clear I can now use both eyes easily. The eye tracking just grabs the eye and sticks to it in the majority of situations. Having so many FPS multiplies the number of sharp shots to the point I have so many keepers I’m struggling to process all the pictures now. The zoom lens allows for wider and habitat images and landscapes, or for portrait/full body pictures of a subject if you are close enough. I also take macro pictures frequently and the ability of the lens to focus so closely makes it an absolute pleasure to use with big insects as praying mantis or butterflies, or for frogs/toads. I couldn’t believe how sharp and detailed were a handful of shots I took of a mantis a few days ago, they look like taken by an actual a macro lens. Plus the camera has the focus-stacking feature which is something I already did with Photoshop for macro pics before, and it works very good saving me a big amount of time. Maybe I’m too biased but overall the combination of those two has changed the game of wildlife photography for me, literally.
I erased some things from the comment so it wouldn’t be so long, but for anyone interested here are other advantages I’ve found from that R7+100-500 combo: - The eye tracking, the flip screen and the fast FPS allow to shoot while looking through the screen live (instead of the viewfinder). You can handhold the camera at ground level, open and flip the screen, focus and shoot and you’ll get the eye sharp and crisp. You don’t even have to be very precise with the central AF point because the eye tracking will stick to the eye fast. For me that’s very useful in rivers and lakes, since where I live (mountains) the shores are usually steep and you can’t lie down. If you sit and look through the viewfinder the perspective is too high. If you lower the camera to water level the background looks way better and smoother, and I could never do this with my 80D before. - The combo is like a 4x4 camera+lens. You can just walk around carrying it with no tripod and you can take pictures of small birds, landscape at 100mm, macro of big insects and amphibians, or mushrooms and flowers, big flying birds or mammals all in one. And the quality is excellent for everything. Lightweight, no changing lenses or carrying tripods. - The focus stacking feature works very good if you handhold it carefuly. Set the number of shots for 8-10, keep the stabiliser on, and hold the camera still. I took some pictures of big mushrooms and it blends the images perfectly. Even in a dark forest you can handhold at 1/125 or so and if you don’t move the camera the focus staking will work. Razor sharp mushroom from the front to the back and smooth background. - 800mm is such a long distance that allows you to take pictures from small birds while still being outside of their “security distance”. It has opened the option of taking pics of some species that would just fly away before. And you can crop quite good with 32 megapixels. - Talking about distance, the option of zooming in 10x digitally while watching live in the screen is crazy to watch fauna at a great distance. If you haven’t done it, try it, because it might surprise you the way you can zoom in so much from so far. I’ve found that useful to just sit and watch birds and roe deer from a great distance without disturbing them. Hope that helped and sorry for the long text 😅
Awesome review! Thank you! I have been watching your videos for a while now. I love that you are chilled out, not jump cutting all the time and that you got no noisy background music. Now I am curios on how you set up your dual back button af om your r7🧐 Always interesting to see those for me totaly new bird species. I would love to travel to Australia in the future just for that. Greetings from a German fan ;)
Regarding the pre-burst feature, I modified my 'Q' menu to add pre-burst mode as one of the options. Makes it a lot easier to quickly get in and out of that mode without having to access the menu system.
Thanks David, a great idea and does make it quicker, I still wish we did not have to lose the live view to turn it off, you can easily lose the subject whilst turning it off and on. The inability to shoot whilst the buffer is clearing is also frustrating. Its good but could be a lot better. Cheers, Duade
Awesome review. Haven’t been shooting in 10 years. Bought the R7 an I’ve been using it with the RF 100-400 lens now for a couple of months. Still a lot to learn but I get really great bird pics. The other enthusiasts in my area with bit older, far more expensive and heavier gears are so “jealous” 😂. On bigger screens I find that noise issue so maybe I shold test those denoise softwares…. Ligtroom is not that good at it. Thanks for your great reviews.
DxO Pureraw is amazing but you dont have much control. Its a one button denoise. If it doesnt work well on all areas of your image for some reason you can use photoshop to blend between the raw and denoised image. So far I havent had to do that though. It certainly helps my confidence using higher iso numbers. Great thing is that you can try it for free for a limited time.
I bought a R7 had it about a month, really didn't get on with it, the main reason was the the rolling shutter, so you say use the mechanical but sounds louder than my 7D so terrible for wildlife
Thanks Paul, yes I don't know why the shutter is so much louder than the R6/R7, and the rolling shutter is unfortunate in ES. I am currently testing the R6 mark II and so far very impressed. CHeers, Duade
Great informative video. I've gone from a Canon 1200D to the R7 and I couldn't be happier. Using the converter to utilise my EF L 100-400 & 100 L macro lenses. Got the RF 18-150 lens at the same time as buying the R7; it's just a kit lens but hopefully Canon will release an L version of it next year. I tend to still use my 1200D for creative flower macro photography as I get a better creative vibe from it, and the R7 for landscape and bird photography. The keeper rate on the R7 is wonderful. Thanks so much for this video Duade.
My first Mirrorless after a multitude of SLR (FTb through F1n) and DSLR (D10- 1DMkIII and 5D MkII). Thanks for all your videos focused on the R7. I'll go on my Alaska cruise with a good start!
Great vid Duade actually learned a few things I wasn’t aware of on 👁focus and spot focusing, since the only R series I had was an RP I didn’t have any problems adjusting to button, joystick or wheel layouts and it’s second nature now, just picked up an EF 100-400 4.5-5.6 L ll USM and am looking forward to getting out with it. Keep up the great work really enjoyed the review. Looking forward to some specific vids on features of the R7 in the future.
Im also a RP owner and switched to the R7. The 100-400 II is a great lens on the RP, but a AWESOME lens on the R7 for wildlife and video. Just the 400mm/640mm crop can get a bit short in some wildlife scenarios where i often prefer 4k60 crop video for about 1000mm effectively.
A really great review, though I have to disagree with the 'enthusiast' label. I'd say that's the R10, and that this is more 'semi pro' or 'prosumer', as petty as that might sound. Like the 7D line, the R7 also carries over a lot of features from Canon's professional full frame bodies, specifically the advanced autofocus system, dual card slots, and larger battery. All these features make me confident in the camera for professional work, and the fact that it offers them for a lower price than many expected doesn't change their usefulness in the field. Great camera all in all, my only gripes are the lack of that bottom wheel and no battery grip compatibility, but they really weren't dealbreakers for me and I get by just fine without them. I can't see Canon releasing a higher end APS-C line anytime in the next few years, though I expect it will address some of the criticisms with the R7 Mark II, which will probably launch for a couple of hundred more as a result. I think they were planning to do the latter anyway, and that the current R7 is more about getting Canon's more serious APS-C shooters over to the R mount.
Great review Duade! I really like that you took the time to compare the R5 FF + crop to the R7 APS-C, and I especially found your test on the buffer (& SD card speeds) very useful! I'll make sure to recommend your video to others who are considering to buy the R7! Thx for putting in so much effort, great work!
When you make the video about FV mode remember that in auto-iso it also allows you to adjust exposure compensation with the front and rear dial. Best of luck to you!
A very good review here, Duade. One thought around the image stabilization being shakier on the R7: if you were using both cameras at 500 mm, that would mean that the R7 was acting as a almost 800 mm camera due to the crop factor, which would explain why it's so much more shaky. If you had zoomed it back to have an equal crop factor to the full frame camera, I think you would find that it probably has a similar level of shake correction.
Hi Duade, Thanks for your really excellent R7 review video, you certainly must have put a good few hours into preparing it. I finally got my R7 (in UK) last month and had a chance to give it a try out up in the Scottish Highlands over the last couple of weeks. Considering it is almost exactly 1/3 the cost of an R5 (here in the UK anyway), what a brilliant camera. The subject/eye detection autofocus is so good, although not quite as good at sticking on the subject as the R5 - from your video I now understand why. Thanks, I was beginning to wonder if it was me! Like you I’ve set up another button to switch from subject/eye tracking to single point autofocus, and that works great whenever it’s necessary. I set up the depth of field button in the middle of the AF/MF switch for this purpose, but I guess whatever suits each person. As for shutter mode I find Elec. 1st-curtain is fine for just about everything, it’s not very long ago that 15 frames/sec you can get with Elec. 1st-curtain was almost the stuff of dreams and it is more than enough for pretty well all my bird photography. Image quality of the R7 is great. RF 100-500L is better but the RF 100-400 is pretty fine too, especially at less than a ¼ the price of the 100-500, absolute bargain. Sorry for the long ramble but thanks again for another superb video, really helpful. PS: hope it’s not too wet in your part of Northern Victoria Best Wishes John Clark
Thanks for the feedback John, I really appreciate it and I agree with your comments. The price and features are hard to beat. Yes, we are almost underwater with the record amount of rain we have had. I feel for all the people directly impacted by it and wish them the best. We have largely escaped the flooding as we are on a hill but it did damage my road into the property. Take care, Duade
Thank you for a great walkthrough. Just got my R7 a few days ago (first camera), and this video really helped explain a lot of details. Also, your videos are really high quality, both in terms of information and presentation!
I really appreciate your well balanced reviews and how you always keep price point in perspective. I think you have one of the best channels for amateurs on a budget. I just switched from the Nikon D500 to the R7. I love the D500, but unfortunately Nikon still hasn't produced a mirrorless crop-sensor successor that works well for fast action. I've been sticking with DSLR for a while, but the eye auto-detect really seems like a game changer.
Great to hear Leo, I hope it works out well for you, if you did not see my last video shooting in H mode will have better AF accuracy than H+. Also thanks for the support. Cheers, Duade
I recently upgraded to an R7 (from my first camera which was a VERY old Rebel Xsi that I got back in 2008 haha), so this video was extremely helpful for me to understand many of the new-to-me features! I'll be saving up for RF lenses so I can do more wildlife photography (my favorite subject to shoot along with macro). I love how you walked us through the process of actually using the camera, especially with the autofocus options. Thank you!!
Superb video. I have the RF 100-400 and found with the R7 it covers most of my bird photography needs and my keeper rate way exceeds what I was getting with my old 7DMKii. I have bought the RF600 f11 but found the RF100-400 a lot sharper in most circumstances
remember at effectively 600mm+ you have heat haze I thought the same about my RF 800 F11, but in fact heat haze can get a problem even with just 20 ft from the subject away, it is barely visible on fullframe, so 800mm, but very noticable with APS-C, so 1280mm.
@@harrison00xXx Have found the RF 100-400 sharper in most situations but it is my go-to lens with the R7 as it is more portable but will give the 600 f11 more time when we get some better light as I am in the UK and we mostly get rain and low light through heavy cloud in the winter months...roll on Spring :)
I picked up my R7 on Friday and hopefully I'll have the 100-400 by Wednesday or Thursday!. I've moved over from the D500 which is an amazing body but the lighter weight, tracking AF and the 32mp sensor won me over, dual SD helped as well. I only tend to shoot shirt bursts so the buffer isn't an issue. Definitely interested in seeing how the Tamron 150-600g2 performs on the R7.
Excellent review. I have been using the R7 and RF 100-500mm for 2 weeks now. Before this, I had been using Canon’s 60D and 80D with the Sigma 150-600mm lens as well as Canon’s 300mm f4 with extenders. 90% of my photography are birds, and other wildlife. I waited over a year for a good, crop-sensor mirrorless camera. I did not want a full frame camera because I didn’t want to shoot 17MPs with an R5. I accept all the limitations of the R7. Will the R5 give better results? Sometimes. Like when you’re lucky enough to have your subject very close. But, by my reckoning most wildlife photographers more often than not, want greater reach. In that respect, along with the 1.6 crop-sensor, the R7 has every other specification I was looking for before it was introduced. Why did I wait this long? I wanted to see if Sony upgraded the a6600. I gave up waiting.
Great content. Thanks for sharing this. I shoot the R5 with the RF100-500 and a few months ago I was asked by several folks to demonstrate the capabilities and how i have it set up. One person could not really manage the weight of my gear. She really liked my setup, so I recommended the R7 and RF100-400 as an alternative for her situation. While she did move forward with the recommendation, I sure could have used this video to help her understand the trade-offs. I will keep this one in mind to share.
"It all comes down to what you get for your money"- Duade Thank you Duade for all your analysis of the R7. So many reviewers focus on comparing this camera to professional level cameras and not mentioning the cost. They say, "The R5 is better than the R7" but then they ignore the difference in price. I agree with you that this camera has the best features for the PRICE! It's not perfect for sure, but I really enjoy the capabilities and I can afford it. It works for me.
Very true, and is the reason we have so many different bodies, otherwise we would all just get an A1 or Z9 as they are the best. But the majority of people cannot afford those cameras. Cheers, Duade
Finally someone else has noticed this as well . I've mention several times on other channels . They don't care all they care about is Likes , subs and views and brown nosing the brand .
this is true..."It all comes down to what you get for your money" Using Electronic shutter you get: * 12bit and only 0.5 seconds as the longest shutterspeed * hugh rolling shutter, woobling and a useless 30fps atleast for moving subjects, I wonder what the wobbling,warping would do to the image stacking mode ... * also you get a massive crop in 4k60p (the non lineskipping version) * Super small bufffer * You get awesome loud mechanical shutter. I have no clue for what more you can ask for ....for the money paid? This camera is clearly wrong named this is the R70....as someone allready stated.
@@Not_Infocus Love my R7, it's a big step up from an old amateur camera like a Nikon D3200. I never use the whole buffer shooting wildlife, so I don't know why so many people complain about it.
@@Not_Infocus firstly this shutter is whisper quiet compared to the Canon DSLRs, and I can't say I've ever missed a shot because the shutter scared the wildlife away. The rolling shutter is an issue, but how often are people actually going to shoot 30fps with the ES?, 15fps with the MS is more than enough.
Thank you, this was very informative and covered a lot more than other reviews I've watched so far. It looks like my next camera, just need to decide on a lens now as I won't be able to get more than one to start with - and using my old ones obviously but as I want the most out of the camera, a suitable lens would be great to begin with.
Thanks Duade for the amount of time and effort you put into making these videos. It is very appreciated. You are fast becoming one of my 'go to' channels for learning about photography.
Have you ever compared R7 to R5 APS-C crop in terms of IQ (details, noise)? In my comparisons I can't see much improvement from R7 (it has heavy AA filter) but I don't have glass that is good enough for such a test, both in terms of resolving power and consistent AF accuracy.
Hi Pawel, you can download the RAW files here 1drv.ms/u/s!ApIjAzjQ9Lc-guQfT5jt9q5uBYl0FA?e=dq9ehK there are some R7 vs R5 comparisons there. In theory they will be similar with the R5 maybe having the edge but the R7 files will be bigger. The R5 is the better overall camera without a doubt, but the R7 just offers bigger files if you are cropping. Cheers, Duade
I watched this review from beginning to end as your info was straight to the point and honest. I think bang for my bucks this would be the best upgrade from eos 6d m2 as I am a casual shooter (family and travel). I have lugged the 6d and the 7d around the globe ending up with tired arms due to weight.
I moved from a 5D4 to the R7. I kept all my good EF lenses. I have had great luck with the 100-400II and both the 1.4 and 2 extenders- both the latest iterations. The thing that absolutely amazed me was using this combination for macro shooting. With the 2X extender, I can focus at about 22 inches at full zoom. I’ve gotten some amazing jumping spider, butterfly, bee, plant etc. shots. It is great to be able to sit in a photo blind waiting to take a BIF or a Bird on water shot and look down at my feet and be able to take a bee on a flower and whip back up to capture black-necked stilts in flight. I was a portrait photographer for 48 years before I retired and took up wildlife. (At least a little wilder than what I was taking before) The R7 is my first mirrorless and I love it. It has taken awhile to figure what works best for me (still adjusting) Your videos have helped a lot. I am getting great pictures. Thanks.
I have had the R7 for a month or so now coming from a 7dmarkii. It's a huge jump up. Auto focus and image quality is brilliant and that's what ef lens. Would recommend it to anyone. ( my only small issue wud be I wish it had better weather sealing etc) but for the price point I can't belive how good the auto focus is. All my images are soo much sharper compared to using the 7dmarkii. Great video .
It would be so nice if Canon released R7 II that adress all the issues of R7 just like they refined R6. Something without AA filter on a sensor, with faster readout speed, uncropped oversampled 4K60p, good looking FullHD 240p, better EVF, bigger buffer and R6II ergonomics.
Being old and having learned the craft in the 1980's when we had 24 or 36 rolls of film, your thumb did the winding and everything was manual, I have zero need to worry about a buffer 😀
Thank you so much for the review! I have since purchased the R7 with the RF100-400, and your findings are consistent with how it's been for me. I upgraded from the Canon M50 and the gains in autofocus speed and accuracy are a game changer for me. I also learned a new trick from you with the spot AF, since I frequently am photographing birds through brush and leaves, this will help me a lot :)
@@lesandisdream5290 With the m50 I have used the contemporary and the super sigma with decent results--though the m50 felt like a credit card taped to a baseball bat (not an ideal fit for a lens of that size). I have yet to try the sigma 150-600 but Duade has tested that more extensively than I think anyone. My next upgrade would probably be trading the 100-400 f8 for the 100-500, or perhaps a prime.
I also use EF lenses and i have not an adapter with ring. Because i always shoot in M with auto iso i really need a fast way to change exposure compensation as i did using the lever on my 7D2 and 5D4, so i fixed it assigning EC to the DOF button (press it and turn the main dial). It works great, at least till i'll buy the RF 100-500 ;-)
"Recent discovery - you can have three control dials active at once in the R7's Manual mode to control aperture, shutter speed and ISO simultaneously with the histogram live all the time. Here's how: This setup relies on using the control ring on the lens as the third control dial, so on lenses like the R7's kit lens that use the control ring for focusing, you sacrifice manual focusing, but with lenses that have separate focus and control rings there's no sacrifice. That's any EF or EF-S lens with the EF to R Control Ring adapter, and any RF lens with both focus and control rings - like my Canon RF 100-400mm lens. (Actually, other than the two RF-S kit lenses this isn't a problem, since most RF lenses have both rings, and the five that have only one have a switch on the lens to switch its use between Manual Focus and Control Ring.) To set this up, go to page 6 of the AF tab in the settings screen and set the Focus/Control ring to Control rather than the default Focus setting. Then go to page 3 of the Camera tab and in Customize Dials you set the three dials up however you like. Since I used a pre-EOS Canon FT-QL for nearly forty years before going digital, and thus I'm used to having an aperture ring on the lens, I set the Control ring on the lens to AV. Since I'm used to setting the shutter speed on the top of the camera, I set the Main Dial to TV, and I put ISO control on the Quick Control Ring around the joystick next to the viewfinder. (Film cameras changed the ISO by changing the film you were using!) But you can assign those three functions between those three dials however you like. PS If you frequently want to focus manually with a lens that has only one ring, you can set one of your Custom Settings up to use the Control Ring on the lens for focusing and use the other two control dials however you prefer."
Thanks for sharing the info, I do use the control ring on RF lenses but many people are still using EF lenses which do not have a control ring hence the two control dial issue. But you can get around it using FV mode also. It is not a major issue just it would not have been that hard to add a third dial for manual shooters. Cheers, Duade
Hey Duade, I purchased the RF 100-500 for my R6 M1 after being disappointed by the RF 800mm f11 in some situations. But now I need more reach for songbirds. What is the best option regarding image quality and autofocus between a 1.4x extender on the R6 or a new R7?
Hi Arturo, the R7 will give you a similar FOV as the 800 f11 on your R6 but with the flexibility of the zoom and 7.1. You can use the 1.4 but you lose the 100-300mm range and you cannot retract the lens fully with the extender attached. It becomes a 700 f10 at the long end which is pretty good. Up close the R6 will offer better IQ, AF, Noise performance, rolling shutter, buffer etc over the R7, its only advantage really being the reach it offers for small birds and the increased FPS. For its price the R7 is a nice camera but has its limitations. Ultimately it is up to you to decide what is important to you. Cheers, Duade
Hi Duade, there was a question posed about getting the R7 as an extra body - because of the crop - would you recommend for BIF and for far away small birds? I'm patiently waiting for the "new " r5... but thought the r7 now (trading in my r6) would be an option. I'm worried that the r6 value continues to decline, and that my far away or flying bird images look crummy thank you.
G'day Bianca, a tricky one to answer but the R7 will make those flying birds much bigger, and you often have nice light with BIF so the noise should not be an issue. The R7 is a bit of a paradox as the reach is fantastic, however the rolling shutter can be bad in electronic so using mechanical/EFCS can be used but it is very loud. The AF is not quite as good as the R6 but still works well with eye tracking. I think one just has to be realistic about the performance for the price if that makes sense. Is there any way to rent one or try one first? Cheers, Duade
Would this be a good camera for landscapes? Never owned a mirrorless camera. I want to upgrade from my PowerShot G1X Mk3. I can’t afford FF and want a compact body like the R7.
Hi Scott, being an APSC you will need a wide lens like the RF-S 11-22mm f/4.5-5.6 which is coming early this year, pair that with the R7 and it should be excellent. The RF100-400 would also be excellent. Good luck, Cheers, Duade
My experience is that the R7 does need some improvements, (of course these are artificial flaws, as dictated by the Canon cripple hammer), but as long as I put a great lens on it, it performs great. For the price, I couldn't be happier though. List of things they NEED on the next real crop body: Better res viewfinder and LCD screen Battery grip Ability to charge via regular 'Ol USB-C attached to my PC like the R5 can do. More dials, and better constructed ones at that. MUCH better E-shutter, (maybe we can get BSI stacked sensor like what Fuji has?) Slot for CF-Express Actual weather sealing Quieter mechanical shutter that doesn't sound like garbage jingling in a trash can. I would gladly pay around $2500 for these features in a crop body. Otherwise, Fuji may be my future.
Hi Duade, Another excellent review. Am about to take the plunge on the R7 with the RF 100-400. Looking forward the seeing the results. Thank you and keep up the great work.
Hi yes I think I will rent one. "blowing up" the tiny or flying birds on the r6 - most of the images are crummy and my hit rate is low. So I'm trying to figure an alternative - as we have discussed - there are no canon lenses or alternate lenses that can get me closer. I'm using the hefty sigma with a converter now, but birds like bluebirds and other smaller guys I just get a blob.
Have fun with it Bianca, it is a great camera for the price and works well in good light, it just has a few issues with rolling shutter and in low light conditions. Cheers, Duade
Great review, as allways. One little hint: I have the Preburst mode on the M-Fn button. Then I can continue to look through the viewfinder with pressing two additional buttons. Works for me.
Thanks for that, yes, that is quicker, still annoying to have to have multiple button presses and use the menu, a single on/off would be so much quicker. Cheers, Duade
Thanks champion, been battling for ages with a 700D and finally getting to the point were my skill is starting to outgrow the camera. Was looking for something a little better to keep learning with 👍
I hope you have a chance to review the R8. I'm on the ledge on which to get r8 or r7. Wildlife, scenery, and nightlife stills are what I'm going after.
Thanks, at this stage I have not tried the R8, the lack of a rear joystick makes it very difficult for me to use the camera for wildlife as I like to have the ability to quickly move the focus point without taking my eye from the viewfinder. It does appear to be a nice camera but with comprimeses in terms of battery, layout etc. Cheers, Duade
This is a good camera for the price. That said, I would have gladly traded an extra several hundred dollars for a decent EVF. If you are going to be shooting wildlife, the viewfinder quality/ magnification would be a showstopper for me. I really hope Nikon, when they release their version, will fix this issue. Another issue you brought up was lack of a grip. This is another reason I wouldn't consider it for myself. Maybe for someone with small hands. That will also mean it will balance poorly with long lenses. No thanks. That's really a shame considering the amazing Canon autofocus. Not to be too harsh with this comment, but it seems like Canon never makes a near pro APC camera. Even in the DSLR days, the 7D MII had a poor sensor with low dynamic range and truly awful low light performance. For example, the Nikon D500 had none of those shortcomings and was far closer to "pro" APC. I think a lot of users would pay more to get something great. Just my opinion. Note that I think Canon makes great gear in general, just not for me with this type of camera.
@@Duade Thank you health, I will try again tonight. Congratulations on all the effort and dedication. I'm from Brazil, and I think your videos are excellent.
You’re my favorite wildlife photography account. I loved when you saw the kingfisher. Your excitement and passion for your photography is obvious. You also make everything so visual and that’s how I learn best.
That was awesome Duade, so much work producing this video. Being a 7Dmk2 owner this is the best upgrade for me. Starting full time work early next year so it is on my shopping list. Thank you for your passion.
Hello Duade, will you be reviewing the RP or R in the near future? I'm sure some of us would love your style of reviews for these cameras. Thanks for your videos so far!
Thanks Duade ... Great research and clear explanations of your findings. I had a budget of $7,500 only. To me the lens is often more important for IQ (and holds its value better) than the camera itself. I moved from Nikon Z6 and D500 with 200- 500 5.6 and 4 other lens, to the R7 with the RF 100-500, 50mm f1.8 and 18-150 kit lens, I thought that I would later get the R6 (replacing the Z6) for landscapes, astro and portraits But the 24-105 f4 and 16 F2.8 will cost less than the R6 body and will do very well I think on the R7. The R7's AF is so superior to my old Nikons. This, and the weight factor, are the key points in my change. Thanks again Duade. Robbey
Fantastic and most comprehensive video on the R7 I have seen. Thank you so much. Although the R7 has some limitations compared to the fullframe cameras, I choose the R7 over my R5 for wildlife time and time again. It is such a beast paired with the 100-500
Thank you for your videos, very informative. I have the R7 but I use it with the Sigma 150-600 C, I have good and bad results with it. I am thinking on buying thr canon RF 200-800, but many people say it is no good with the R7.
I went from an R5 to the R7, thinking the extra reach would be a benefit. Comparing images taken at the same location as last year, same bird activity, I have to say it disappoints compared to the R5. The image quality just isn't there. The R5 with a 1.4 teleconverter added to the 100-500mm lens shows feather detail that the R7 using the same lens without the teleconverter does not. Much of the time the feathers are just smudged whereas with the R5 the feathers were tack sharp. As well the noise level at low light levels is unacceptable, even DXO has trouble with the noise. I use shutter speeds of 1/2000 to 1/4000 second to capture birds in flight, electronic shutter only. Think I'll go back to the R5.
Great Review Duade and thanks. I also use the FV mode in-stead of M mode on the R7, and I am fine with that. I get the best resultat with the R7 together with my RF 100-500 lens. Cheers Per
I have been looking for a second body to my R5 for going on an African safari, and I'm looking at the R7, R6, and R6II. In theory I could afford either one of them, but of course money spent on a body cannot be spent on other things. I do have 2 more Canon DSLR bodies (6D and 7DII) which I've taken in previous safaris and they are still fully functional. So this new second body is a nice to have but not really absolutely essential. So I wonder what would you take as your second body. Tnx in advance.
Hi Dimitris, if you are still using EF lenses then the 7D2 would be a good backup, I suggest you will use the R5 nearly all the time. The R7 is a good camera but after using the R5 it is hard to go back to be honest as the AF, IQ etc just isn't the same as you would expect. The R62 is a great camera and competes very well with the R5 but lacks the megapixels. I do like mine though. Good luck, Cheers, Duade
Hi Duade, I am just about to purchase this camera to use with a 100-400ii would you suggest I purchase either the cheaper mount adapter or the control ring adapter. I mainly photograph birds and wildlife.Thanks Tony
Tony, it really depends how you set your exposure, it would be nice to have a third control ring to adjust the aperture if you shoot in manual mode but I have found shooting in FV mode using the two dials works well. If you don't have one getting a 1.4x III extender is well worth the investment as a 140-560 f/8 is very handy on the R7 and the AF works well with that combo. Good luck, Cheers, Duade
@@Duade thanks for the response, I usually shoot in manual with auto iso, so I think I may go for the cheaper ef toro mount adapter, I will let you know how I get on, Cheers Tony
Hi Duade. Love the video. This is high on my want list. But a question. The R10. Can that camera be an option for wildlife or have Canon compromised too much on the spec? Thanks!!!
Hi Frans, to be honest, I think they have, the camera is tiny, the rolling shutter is bad, viewfinder is tiny, the R7 is far superior and well worth saving for. Cheers, Duade
I'm a novice at this. I was wondering if this would be a good camera for videoing at Airshows? Maintain focusing on a fast moving aircraft would be important.
G'day, the AF should work for aircraft, I do find it difficult to handhold video with the R7, the R6II is much better for handheld video. If on a tripod they should work well. Good luck, Cheers, Duade
Hi Duade, Fantastic review of the R7! Just wondering what autofocus case you've settled on? I've experimented with Cases 1 and 2, and the Auto setting, but I can't decide which is giving the best results. Many thanks :)
@Duade: the APS-C IBIS may be more challenged because similar hand shake is worse in reference to the size of the sensor. Your high megapixel comment goes a bit in that direction. This is an awesome review! I have an R7 and looked at many reviews before deciding to pick one up to replace my 40D that passed away. Duade's review blows all the other reviews out of the water. It is so much more detailed and really very helpful with many practical tips. Respect! Even with the 18-150 kit lens I made some amazing bird shots. This camera at that price point is an amazing deal.
When you say if you want to spend a little bit more get the OM-1 or XH2s or R6 II.. by the time you've paid for the way more expensive Canon lenses you are better off financially getting those better stacked sensor cameras. For me that already has Canon lenses I still think I want those better other brand cameras. Not worth getting into a closed R system. For example Tamron 100-500mm Sony version is a third of the price of the Canon 100-500mm or for the XH2s the 100-500mm is less than half price. So always factor in the Camera plus your primary lens for price comparison. Great video by the way.
Thanks, yes, that Tamron lens is incredible for the price, just be aware Sony does restrict the FPS on that lens which is unfortunate, however 15fps I think is still plenty fast. I am hoping to get my hands on Fuji, Sony and Olympus in the coming months as I would love to try those systems. Cheers, Duade
@@Duade Yeah look forward to your new reviews great job and plenty of detail. I still have my 7D II and 100-400mm II I'm about to pay off my mortgage so in the coming months going for the OM-1 way lighter system getting old.. giving my sons the old Canon stuff.
I have an ancient 2008 Canon Rebel XSi (EOS 450D) DSLR. I recently discovered the joy of wildlife photography, with the emphasis mostly on birds. Dusting off my old teenage camera a few years ago, taking pics of wildlife is quite a challenge and I figured now is the time to finally upgrade. The R7 seems like the perfect price point to jump to, starting with my ancient EF-S 55-250 IS lens, with the RF 100-400 to save up for. Re-learning what's changed in the camera space over all these years has been quite a challenge but thanks to your vids, Duade, I feel completely confident in my choices. Thank you so much for your detailed reviews and talking about comparability, pros, cons, and stunning example photos by yourself and viewers. Sending my love from Canada.
G'day David, ideally V90 SD cards, 126GB or 256GB if you can afford it. That extra speed of the v90 will clear the buffer much faster. I personally use Prograde but most brands are pretty good. Cheers, Duade
Ye i think they dropped a bollock and for a few dollars more they could have had a real winner . Canon you need to get the R7 MkII ASAP and this time with a battery grip.
Excellent video I watch nearly all of them and I have the R7 on order, my only concern is like the R6 will it be updated with 2 years of coming out, and the delay in getting the R7 is horrendous I've been waiting months. However, that aside your videos are excellent and thinks for the effort you put in.
Thanks Harry, the demand is so strong for the R7 I can't see it being replaced quickly, I suspect they will milk this for some time. The R6 I think was struggling a little due to the R7 and R5 being so good. The R62 now makes it competitive. Cheers, Duade
I just bought the R7 and after taking a few test shots tried to process them using the latest version of Canon's Digital Photo Professional 4. I found that DDP 4 had a difficult time dealing with the CR3 files that this camera creates. Then the photo displayer I have used for over 15 years, Irfanview, could not accept CR3 files. I thought perhaps some of your members and viewers might not know this about the R7. The issue of Canon's creating an entirely new RAW file format is NEVER mentioned in any review of this, or the other R series cameras, that I've seen. Perhaps this is because all of these reviewers use Lightroom to process all of their photos so they've never dealt with this issue? For me, after struggling all last evening to format the camera using very different dials and Q setup, this issue with the CR3 was a deal breaker for me. This camera and the RF 100-500mm lens I bought with it are, unfortunately, going back to B&H Photo for a refund. 😵😒
Sorry to hear your struggles. DPP is a terrible piece of software. There are a few other free programs to edit the RAW files or you can invest in some paid software. I know it's tough paying for the Lightroom subscription but for me it's worth it. Cheers, Duade 👍
@@Duade the issue isn't money. I have looked at Lightroom; I even OWN Lightroom 6 when I saw where the whole Lr thing was going to subs. I still remember something my Daddy once said, "I don't pay interest, I collect it". DPP might be "terrible" but Canon made it and says that RAW.cr3 can be processed with it. It wasn't just the RAW files issue either; that was just the one I thought was particularly important as I've never ever seen it noted in ANY reviews. Like it's not impt. enough to even mention. There were other things about the R7 and the whole mirrorless system of Canon's. I hate the elect. viewfinder for example. What "other free programs" were you thinking of? I can understand how someone like you would not like DPP 4 - it's incredibly primitive compared with Lr. I'm thinking of all the post-processing work that you and Jann do! That said, I often take "good enough" images so that I need to do very little post-processing as far as IQ is concerned. Now if you are looking at some of the wizardry that you and Jann do, then yeah sure. I reckon one of the elephants in the room for me is (a) I'm a natural born technophobe in general (I just got my first Android which I still can't work), and (b) I'm an "Old Dog" at 74 and am not partial to "new tricks".
@@fgb3126 RawTherapee and Gimp are two that come to mind. The EVF does take some adapting but having live exposure in the viewfinder is fantastic and makes it much harder to blow your white. It took me a little while to adapt but I am used to it now. DPP has always been inferior to nearly all other programs, it is clunky and slow and I don't know why Canon persist with it. Cheers, Duade
@@Duade Thank you for your prompt reply! Wow! What time is it in Wangaratta? 🙃Oooo! 5:40 a.m. You must be a morning person. I'll check out the two you mention. As far as DPP 4 is concerned, when I began this odyssey with the R7 I had been wishing that there was some post processor between DPP and Lr, like maybe a DPP 5 even. But again, if someone can work Lr then our whole discussion is on two very different, separate levels anyway. As for "blowing whites", ain't that what blinkies are for? 😉
@@fgb3126 Yep, early bird catches the worm as they say. :-) Yes, blinkies are very helpful, but with an EVF we don't need to check them or remove our eye from the viewfinder as we can see the exposure and histogram as we shoot. :-) Cheers, Duade
This is really an excellent review of the Canon R7. I usually shoot with an R3/R5 but I was thinking of bringing my wife's R7 to Costa Rica next month because with her EF 100-400 4.5-5.6 I could shoot at 600mm at f5.6. Do you think this combination of the R7 +100-400mm would be a good combination? I will also bring my R3 with the 100-500mm. I wanted to avoid the hassle & weight of renting the 600mm f4--thank you
Hi Duade. You mentioned the OM1 as an alternative towards the end of the video. I have been thinking of this with the 100-400m Olympus lens. Have you used the OM1 at all?
Hi John, not at this stage but I have contacted Olympus and waiting to hear back, the camera itself I think is without competition at the moment with its features. I hope to try it soon if I can. Cheers, Duade
@@Duade The Pro capture feature looks particularly interesting. Many thanks for your video. As always I found it very interesting and useful. No bias just an honest review.
@Duade great video as usual. Just a note to confirm that you can program one of the button like the to switch the RAW Burst mode on and off. I have set it up and it is really practical.
Thanks, yes, you can and I should have mentioned that, as it is much faster. You still lose live view whilst turning it off which is annoying and waiting for the buffer is a real pain. Cheers, Duade
Great video Duade! Thank you for your in depth review. I am currently considering my next wildlife setup to consist of the R7 and the Canon 300mm f2.8 IS USM. Therefore i would love to see you try it out. That is of course only possible if you are in posession of the 300mm. To me it seems that what would be 480mm f2.8 is a great deal, considered the price of this setup. What are your thoughts? Thank you:) Best regards Sven from Denmark.
HOW could you take that kingfisher while mine are spooked even when i'm under hide/cover/shelter from 50m away. Birds in Australia are insane ! King parrot was easy to spot : lot of nois in the first shot. But still a great picture once cleaned in DxO.
Great video Duade. Thanks again for including one of my images! Side note last night while out shooting some whitetail deer I discovered that at least by default the R7 does not switch to card 2 when card 1 is full. Both my cards were setup to shoot craw and card 2 was basically empty. All the camera did was say card 1 full and i had to quickly get into menu while a buck was walking toward me to change to card 2. I nearly missed some great shots and fully missed the chance to get a video clip to go with my photos. I haven't figured out if I can set it to auto switch to card 2 but thought it may be a good thing for you to mention in a video so people are aware. I also have had a few more issues with R7 in cold than my 90d. It was abut 15 degrees f past week and the r7 "froze" up a few times and I had to toggle on and off to get it working again. Cant remember my 90d ever doing that and the r7 never did it before so have to assume its the cold weather
It is my pleasure, it was an awesome shot, yes, not switching is just silly and I don't think there is anyway for it to switch automatically which seems odd. Hopefully someone might know a way. I get the odd freeze but not very often, mainly with EF lenses, Cheers, Duade
G'day, both are nice cameras and the larger MP of the X-H2 are great but for wildlife I would prefer the stacked sensor of the X-H2s for less rolling shutter, the buffer and FPS are also excellent. Cheers, Duade
I don't have an issue with battery life, I usually get a full 3 hour session with thousands of photos per battery. Always have a spare of course but not a drama really. Cheers, Duade
Hi Duade! I mostly considering an upgrade from R10 to R7 based on your videos. What do you think the difference is in minimum shutter speed due to IBIS? I use a sigma 150-600 with the R10 and handholding it, I can capture a sharp branched bird at 1/800, very rare occasions at 1/640, but I rarely risk that, only if the bird sits there for a long time to experiment with that since it is a really low keeper rate, so lets stick with the 1/800. What do you think I can reach with the R7 based on that? Maybe 1/500? I saw that honeyeeter you took at 1/320, which is absurd for this kit, for me, but I guess it is 500mm and that lens has probably better stabilization to begin with.
Hello Duade have you used the R7 with a Canon EF 500mm F4L IS USM ? my question is do you know if it works with a Canon Extender EF 1.4X III as I`ve just got the camera & Lens and wondered if it was worth getting the extender for a bit more reach
Unfortunately I have not used the V1 500 with any RF camera. In theory the primes take converters very well and I use one all the time on my V2 without issue however I have no experience with V1. The converter to me is well worth the investment as 700 5.6 is a nice Focal Length. Cheers, Duade
@@Duade Thanks for the reply I may as well give it a try but on the R7 does 500mm equate to 800mm ? sorry for the questions Duade I`ve always used Nikon but I`m not getting the Z9 so thought after watching your vids I`d give the R7 a try and I do like big primes hence the old mk1 500mm
@@molnjoe1613 G'day, the R7 has a 1.6 crop factor for the field of view. So a 500mm focal length gives a field of view of 800mm(500x1.6) in the viewfinder. Cheers, Duade
I'm not sure I agree that the R7 is directly more comparable to the 90D than the 7D. Sure, it has a less weather sealed body and doesn't have the option for a battery grip. But the rest of its features (dual card slots, no built-in flash, high frame rates and fast maximum shutter speed) put it more in line with the 7D (or comparing it to an r6 (II) and maybe even an r5). I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out Canon's tiering system. It was so simple back in the day... the 1 series flagship, the 5 series prosumer, the x0 series (up to the 50D) as the prosumer crop sensor, and the Rebels as an introductory model. Then they had to go splitting that prosumer crop line into the 7 series, which I still consider the successor of the 50D, and the 60/70/80/90D which took that line a step back, in my opinion. Oy. Now we have an R1 (coming), R3, and R5 as pro models, R6, R7, R8 as prosumer models, and R 10+ as introductory models. Let's hope it doesn't get more complicated.
Outstanding review...!! I have the R7 and read the manual before I bought this camera but your review was so enlightening... huge thanks for your efforts Duade... 🙏🏻 I use a Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS USM 11 with this camera and the results are outstanding. I also use FV value pretty much all the time now as it's so intuitive and I too usually only shoot manual... For birds in flight, in FV mode... I set the shutter speed to 1/2000 sec and the aperture to f/6.3 and let the AUTO ISO change according to the light conditions (I max out the Auto ISO to 6400 ) ...works like a dream... Happy days...
It sure would be interesting to hear what your settings are for the R7 Duade for shooting birds... I know everyone is individual but you have taken way more images than most folk with the R7 (me included) so effectively you are more experienced with the R7's quirks... just a thought...huge thanks again... 🙏🏻
I bought the R7. At 48 years old, it’s my first “real” camera. I could not be happier. Got the kit lens and the 100-400mm lens. This combination of kit has allowed me implement many of the things you talk bout in your videos and speed up my learning. It has been awesome. Thanks for the videos.
What post processing program do you use?
@@fgb3126 I use mostly Adobe Lightroom and very little of photoshop
Brilliant review. I was fortunate to pick up a used R7 while on holiday in Nevada, walked into a camera shop in Reno and they had the R7 with 100 actuations for a price of $1199. Couldn’t help myself. I mainly shoot aviation and find your tutorials more useful for setting up cameras etc as you give greater detail. Thank you for your efforts. You are absolute gold.
Great review! I think I've made my decision to get the R7 based on it. There have been some negative reviews of this camera around, which gave me pause, but this information is thorough, based on usability, bang for buck, and image quality. So many reviewers seem to be more interested in their own personalities and self aggrandizing, witty rabble rousing, etc. Duade sticks to the point! And the pics inlcuded are awesome!🤠
Wow the picture of the Turkey !!
14:50 a quick explanation why the ISO changes the file size:
Canon‘s RAW is always compressed. RAW is lossless compressed and CRAW is lossy compressed. Compression works by removing duplications and patterns. Increasing the ISO increases noise. 100% noise cannot be compressed at all since it is (even by definition) free of patterns. Sony‘s uncompressed RAWs don’t exhibit that phenomenon because it’s uncompressed and thus storing the data form the sensor without computation but it’s also about twice the size of a Canon RAW file.
Thanks for the explanation, very helpful, Cheers, Duade
By far and away the BEST review of the R7 out there. I was seriously interested in the R7 as a 2nd body to my R5. I started this whole wildlife photography a little over 2 years ago with an M50 and a 100-400 ii after an much earlier fail 30 years ago when my Dad (a wild life photographer) passed and left me a lot of photography gear including many bodies, motor winders, lenses along with all the dark room gear. Well, it was just mind boggling and I never was able to get any good photos with that kit and gave up. About 30 years later I was trying to make a video of me playing the guitar and I sprung for my 1st new camara in 30 years the M50. Well by comparison to the old Nikon, Hasselblad etc., gear my dad left me it blew me away and I thought well maybe now I could. That’s when I found you and purchased the 100 to 400 ii. I have a great dealer close by who is quite fair on trade ups (a good thing). I traded up to an R6 as I was struggling with fast moving birds. Well, being the dummy, I am I never realized how much reach I was about to lose and when I went out for my 1st session with my new R6 I was deflated. Duade to the rescue and I bought the RF 800 and was back in business. It’s just gone on from there. Thanks to Duade I am getting some decent shots and I am happily broke 😊. I think I will wait for the R6 ii as my second body, just to keep all the buttons the same. If I started with the R7, I probably would still be shooting an R7. The eye tracking, 15 FPS, pixels on the target and reach were really the big game changers for me and the reasons for all my subsequent upgrades all the way to the R5. The R7 has it all and for HOW MUCH $$$ wow.
Great to hear mate, yes, I suspect the R62 will be a nice improvement over the R6. I do wish the R7 had slightly better specs but for its price it performs very well. Cheers, Duade
Great story. I think an old Hasselblad still has a use. Unbelievable lenses and the need to plan every shot. Like my old Bronica ETRS and Fuji 6x9. When you have a tripod, a sunset over the Grand Canyon, the ability to understand metering and exposure compensation and Fuji Velvia 50, nothing comes close. Of course nowadays the crazy cost of film and, most importantly, the lack of high quality consumer film scanners are limitations. As a compromise I’ve just taken delivery of a Fuji X100 VI to get back into careful composition, high keeper hit rates, as well as the lovely film simulations, IBIS and weight/size.
I guess it depends on the game of wait, machine gun like firing, and binning most shots that wildlife photographers need to do vs crafted shots. Mirrorless and cropped sensor cameras are great for wildlife. Olympus are superb for outdoors types, especially the Pro II. However, a 5D mk 3, on a tripod, with a prime L lens and mirror lock is still awesome for landscape and architecture. Depends on which tools and which sub trade.
I’m still considering a new R7 for the extra reach but for a laugh tried the little EOS M5 on the fantastic VFM EF 70-300 mkII using the converter. It’s not up to bird watching but at 480mm and the great IS in the lens delivers great results for, in my case, no money.
As an aside, I was in a top photo shop in London last week and asked the pro why the R converter mounts are impossible to find. He was pretty sanguine. ‘They are holding them back so they force the buyer to invest in new R lenses and they are more expensive than the older EF and EF-S lenses we all have (12 in my case). It’s called system lock in by the Harvard Business School crowd, so until a mount comes available I’m resisting this. Might even sell up and defect to Fuji or Olympus. The new OM1 mk 2 looks awesome and great VFM.
Thank you for the review and sharing your experience with us, i have bought an R7 with the 18-150 lens plus the 100-400 telephoto lens off the back of your comments, in my daytime job I am in nanoscience, so I appreciate product progression, as you say this is a lot of camera for the money and there are always people who buy a Volkswagen and complain it doesn’t handle like a Ferrari, we are getting what we pay for, there could be improvements that can be covered by updates, it’s nice to see the results you have got from this kit. Thanks again
I just bought it (3 weeks ago) in combination with the RF 100-500.
I was coming from an 80D + 400mm F5.6, and the difference is massive. Photographing now is like a different experience. The IBIS from the R7 and the IS from the lens make the image perfectly still, to the point I can handhold video and make it usable… at 800mm! That’s just crazy to me. I can take pics at 1/125 in a dark cloudy day with 800mm in my hands without a tripod and still get plenty of sharp shots, even of small and fast birds.
I can shoot now plenty of species just by walking around in the woods, which I could never do before. The live view is very useful and helps a lot with burnt whites, making me have more keepers. The viewfinder is so clear I can now use both eyes easily. The eye tracking just grabs the eye and sticks to it in the majority of situations. Having so many FPS multiplies the number of sharp shots to the point I have so many keepers I’m struggling to process all the pictures now. The zoom lens allows for wider and habitat images and landscapes, or for portrait/full body pictures of a subject if you are close enough.
I also take macro pictures frequently and the ability of the lens to focus so closely makes it an absolute pleasure to use with big insects as praying mantis or butterflies, or for frogs/toads. I couldn’t believe how sharp and detailed were a handful of shots I took of a mantis a few days ago, they look like taken by an actual a macro lens. Plus the camera has the focus-stacking feature which is something I already did with Photoshop for macro pics before, and it works very good saving me a big amount of time.
Maybe I’m too biased but overall the combination of those two has changed the game of wildlife photography for me, literally.
What a wonderful review and exactly what I suspected so it is great to hear from someone first hand. Cheers, Duade
I erased some things from the comment so it wouldn’t be so long, but for anyone interested here are other advantages I’ve found from that R7+100-500 combo:
- The eye tracking, the flip screen and the fast FPS allow to shoot while looking through the screen live (instead of the viewfinder). You can handhold the camera at ground level, open and flip the screen, focus and shoot and you’ll get the eye sharp and crisp. You don’t even have to be very precise with the central AF point because the eye tracking will stick to the eye fast. For me that’s very useful in rivers and lakes, since where I live (mountains) the shores are usually steep and you can’t lie down. If you sit and look through the viewfinder the perspective is too high. If you lower the camera to water level the background looks way better and smoother, and I could never do this with my 80D before.
- The combo is like a 4x4 camera+lens. You can just walk around carrying it with no tripod and you can take pictures of small birds, landscape at 100mm, macro of big insects and amphibians, or mushrooms and flowers, big flying birds or mammals all in one. And the quality is excellent for everything. Lightweight, no changing lenses or carrying tripods.
- The focus stacking feature works very good if you handhold it carefuly. Set the number of shots for 8-10, keep the stabiliser on, and hold the camera still. I took some pictures of big mushrooms and it blends the images perfectly. Even in a dark forest you can handhold at 1/125 or so and if you don’t move the camera the focus staking will work. Razor sharp mushroom from the front to the back and smooth background.
- 800mm is such a long distance that allows you to take pictures from small birds while still being outside of their “security distance”. It has opened the option of taking pics of some species that would just fly away before. And you can crop quite good with 32 megapixels.
- Talking about distance, the option of zooming in 10x digitally while watching live in the screen is crazy to watch fauna at a great distance. If you haven’t done it, try it, because it might surprise you the way you can zoom in so much from so far. I’ve found that useful to just sit and watch birds and roe deer from a great distance without disturbing them.
Hope that helped and sorry for the long text 😅
Awesome review! Thank you!
I have been watching your videos for a while now. I love that you are chilled out, not jump cutting all the time and that you got no noisy background music.
Now I am curios on how you set up your dual back button af om your r7🧐
Always interesting to see those for me totaly new bird species. I would love to travel to Australia in the future just for that.
Greetings from a German fan ;)
Regarding the pre-burst feature, I modified my 'Q' menu to add pre-burst mode as one of the options. Makes it a lot easier to quickly get in and out of that mode without having to access the menu system.
Thanks David, a great idea and does make it quicker, I still wish we did not have to lose the live view to turn it off, you can easily lose the subject whilst turning it off and on. The inability to shoot whilst the buffer is clearing is also frustrating. Its good but could be a lot better. Cheers, Duade
Awesome review. Haven’t been shooting in 10 years. Bought the R7 an I’ve been using it with the RF 100-400 lens now for a couple of months. Still a lot to learn but I get really great bird pics. The other enthusiasts in my area with bit older, far more expensive and heavier gears are so “jealous” 😂. On bigger screens I find that noise issue so maybe I shold test those denoise softwares…. Ligtroom is not that good at it. Thanks for your great reviews.
DxO Pureraw is amazing but you dont have much control. Its a one button denoise. If it doesnt work well on all areas of your image for some reason you can use photoshop to blend between the raw and denoised image. So far I havent had to do that though.
It certainly helps my confidence using higher iso numbers. Great thing is that you can try it for free for a limited time.
I bought a R7 had it about a month, really didn't get on with it, the main reason was the the rolling shutter, so you say use the mechanical but sounds louder than my 7D so terrible for wildlife
Thanks Paul, yes I don't know why the shutter is so much louder than the R6/R7, and the rolling shutter is unfortunate in ES. I am currently testing the R6 mark II and so far very impressed. CHeers, Duade
Great informative video. I've gone from a Canon 1200D to the R7 and I couldn't be happier. Using the converter to utilise my EF L 100-400 & 100 L macro lenses. Got the RF 18-150 lens at the same time as buying the R7; it's just a kit lens but hopefully Canon will release an L version of it next year. I tend to still use my 1200D for creative flower macro photography as I get a better creative vibe from it, and the R7 for landscape and bird photography. The keeper rate on the R7 is wonderful. Thanks so much for this video Duade.
My pleasure Nerrel, congrats on the camera, Cheers, Duade
My first Mirrorless after a multitude of SLR (FTb through F1n) and DSLR (D10- 1DMkIII and 5D MkII). Thanks for all your videos focused on the R7. I'll go on my Alaska cruise with a good start!
THE review we were all waiting for :) Excellent quality content, as usual mate!
Best camera Buyer Guide I ever seen.
WOW ! This is the best camera review video I've seen!
Great vid Duade actually learned a few things I wasn’t aware of on 👁focus and spot focusing, since the only R series I had was an RP I didn’t have any problems adjusting to button, joystick or wheel layouts and it’s second nature now, just picked up an EF 100-400 4.5-5.6 L ll USM and am looking forward to getting out with it. Keep up the great work really enjoyed the review. Looking forward to some specific vids on features of the R7 in the future.
Im also a RP owner and switched to the R7.
The 100-400 II is a great lens on the RP, but a AWESOME lens on the R7 for wildlife and video. Just the 400mm/640mm crop can get a bit short in some wildlife scenarios where i often prefer 4k60 crop video for about 1000mm effectively.
Great to hear George, it's a great lens. Cheers, Duade 👍
A really great review, though I have to disagree with the 'enthusiast' label. I'd say that's the R10, and that this is more 'semi pro' or 'prosumer', as petty as that might sound. Like the 7D line, the R7 also carries over a lot of features from Canon's professional full frame bodies, specifically the advanced autofocus system, dual card slots, and larger battery. All these features make me confident in the camera for professional work, and the fact that it offers them for a lower price than many expected doesn't change their usefulness in the field. Great camera all in all, my only gripes are the lack of that bottom wheel and no battery grip compatibility, but they really weren't dealbreakers for me and I get by just fine without them. I can't see Canon releasing a higher end APS-C line anytime in the next few years, though I expect it will address some of the criticisms with the R7 Mark II, which will probably launch for a couple of hundred more as a result. I think they were planning to do the latter anyway, and that the current R7 is more about getting Canon's more serious APS-C shooters over to the R mount.
Great informative video around the R7. Great to see what’s capable of and things to be mindful of in using it. Thank you.
My pleasure Denise, Cheers, Duade 👍
Great review Duade!
I really like that you took the time to compare the R5 FF + crop to the R7 APS-C, and I especially found your test on the buffer (& SD card speeds) very useful!
I'll make sure to recommend your video to others who are considering to buy the R7!
Thx for putting in so much effort, great work!
Thanks Alexander, great to hear it was helpful, I appreciate the share, Cheers, Duade
When you make the video about FV mode remember that in auto-iso it also allows you to adjust exposure compensation with the front and rear dial. Best of luck to you!
Thanks Forrest, and thanks for the tip, Cheers, Duade
Planning to buy the body, glad I ended up on this review... Very well done, much appreciated...
A very good review here, Duade. One thought around the image stabilization being shakier on the R7: if you were using both cameras at 500 mm, that would mean that the R7 was acting as a almost 800 mm camera due to the crop factor, which would explain why it's so much more shaky. If you had zoomed it back to have an equal crop factor to the full frame camera, I think you would find that it probably has a similar level of shake correction.
Hi Duade,
Thanks for your really excellent R7 review video, you certainly must have put a good few hours into preparing it. I finally got my R7 (in UK) last month and had a chance to give it a try out up in the Scottish Highlands over the last couple of weeks. Considering it is almost exactly 1/3 the cost of an R5 (here in the UK anyway), what a brilliant camera. The subject/eye detection autofocus is so good, although not quite as good at sticking on the subject as the R5 - from your video I now understand why. Thanks, I was beginning to wonder if it was me! Like you I’ve set up another button to switch from subject/eye tracking to single point autofocus, and that works great whenever it’s necessary. I set up the depth of field button in the middle of the AF/MF switch for this purpose, but I guess whatever suits each person.
As for shutter mode I find Elec. 1st-curtain is fine for just about everything, it’s not very long ago that 15 frames/sec you can get with Elec. 1st-curtain was almost the stuff of dreams and it is more than enough for pretty well all my bird photography.
Image quality of the R7 is great. RF 100-500L is better but the RF 100-400 is pretty fine too, especially at less than a ¼ the price of the 100-500, absolute bargain.
Sorry for the long ramble but thanks again for another superb video, really helpful.
PS: hope it’s not too wet in your part of Northern Victoria
Best Wishes
John Clark
Thanks for the feedback John, I really appreciate it and I agree with your comments. The price and features are hard to beat. Yes, we are almost underwater with the record amount of rain we have had. I feel for all the people directly impacted by it and wish them the best. We have largely escaped the flooding as we are on a hill but it did damage my road into the property. Take care, Duade
Thank you for a great walkthrough. Just got my R7 a few days ago (first camera), and this video really helped explain a lot of details.
Also, your videos are really high quality, both in terms of information and presentation!
Thanks, congrats on the camera, glad to hear the video was helpful, Cheers,Duade
I really appreciate your well balanced reviews and how you always keep price point in perspective. I think you have one of the best channels for amateurs on a budget. I just switched from the Nikon D500 to the R7. I love the D500, but unfortunately Nikon still hasn't produced a mirrorless crop-sensor successor that works well for fast action. I've been sticking with DSLR for a while, but the eye auto-detect really seems like a game changer.
Great to hear Leo, I hope it works out well for you, if you did not see my last video shooting in H mode will have better AF accuracy than H+. Also thanks for the support. Cheers, Duade
Thanks
Thanks so much for the support Ray, Cheers, Duade
I recently upgraded to an R7 (from my first camera which was a VERY old Rebel Xsi that I got back in 2008 haha), so this video was extremely helpful for me to understand many of the new-to-me features! I'll be saving up for RF lenses so I can do more wildlife photography (my favorite subject to shoot along with macro). I love how you walked us through the process of actually using the camera, especially with the autofocus options. Thank you!!
Superb video. I have the RF 100-400 and found with the R7 it covers most of my bird photography needs and my keeper rate way exceeds what I was getting with my old 7DMKii. I have bought the RF600 f11 but found the RF100-400 a lot sharper in most circumstances
Same here 🦘
remember at effectively 600mm+ you have heat haze
I thought the same about my RF 800 F11, but in fact heat haze can get a problem even with just 20 ft from the subject away, it is barely visible on fullframe, so 800mm, but very noticable with APS-C, so 1280mm.
@@harrison00xXx Have found the RF 100-400 sharper in most situations but it is my go-to lens with the R7 as it is more portable but will give the 600 f11 more time when we get some better light as I am in the UK and we mostly get rain and low light through heavy cloud in the winter months...roll on Spring :)
I picked up my R7 on Friday and hopefully I'll have the 100-400 by Wednesday or Thursday!. I've moved over from the D500 which is an amazing body but the lighter weight, tracking AF and the 32mp sensor won me over, dual SD helped as well. I only tend to shoot shirt bursts so the buffer isn't an issue.
Definitely interested in seeing how the Tamron 150-600g2 performs on the R7.
Are you happy with the r7 and 100 400 from the d500 since you've owned them? Chèers
Can’t wait for your review on the R6 Mark 2. Prebooked it already, a couple of days ago.
Excellent review. I have been using the R7 and RF 100-500mm for 2 weeks now. Before this, I had been using Canon’s 60D and 80D with the Sigma 150-600mm lens as well as Canon’s 300mm f4 with extenders. 90% of my photography are birds, and other wildlife. I waited over a year for a good, crop-sensor mirrorless camera. I did not want a full frame camera because I didn’t want to shoot 17MPs with an R5. I accept all the limitations of the R7. Will the R5 give better results? Sometimes. Like when you’re lucky enough to have your subject very close. But, by my reckoning most wildlife photographers more often than not, want greater reach. In that respect, along with the 1.6 crop-sensor, the R7 has every other specification I was looking for before it was introduced. Why did I wait this long? I wanted to see if Sony upgraded the a6600. I gave up waiting.
Sir we realy appriciate the way you presented the entire details about canon R7. Thank you so much for the video sir.
Thanks!
Thank you so much for the support, Cheers, Duade
Great content. Thanks for sharing this. I shoot the R5 with the RF100-500 and a few months ago I was asked by several folks to demonstrate the capabilities and how i have it set up. One person could not really manage the weight of my gear. She really liked my setup, so I recommended the R7 and RF100-400 as an alternative for her situation. While she did move forward with the recommendation, I sure could have used this video to help her understand the trade-offs. I will keep this one in mind to share.
My pleasure Thomas, glad to hear the videos are helpful. Congrats on the R5. Cheers, Duade 👍
"It all comes down to what you get for your money"- Duade Thank you Duade for all your analysis of the R7. So many reviewers focus on comparing this camera to professional level cameras and not mentioning the cost. They say, "The R5 is better than the R7" but then they ignore the difference in price. I agree with you that this camera has the best features for the PRICE! It's not perfect for sure, but I really enjoy the capabilities and I can afford it. It works for me.
Very true, and is the reason we have so many different bodies, otherwise we would all just get an A1 or Z9 as they are the best. But the majority of people cannot afford those cameras. Cheers, Duade
Finally someone else has noticed this as well . I've mention several times on other channels . They don't care all they care about is Likes , subs and views and brown nosing the brand .
this is true..."It all comes down to what you get for your money"
Using Electronic shutter you get:
* 12bit and only 0.5 seconds as the longest shutterspeed
* hugh rolling shutter, woobling and a useless 30fps atleast for moving subjects, I wonder what the wobbling,warping would do to the image stacking mode ...
* also you get a massive crop in 4k60p (the non lineskipping version)
* Super small bufffer
* You get awesome loud mechanical shutter.
I have no clue for what more you can ask for ....for the money paid?
This camera is clearly wrong named this is the R70....as someone allready stated.
@@Not_Infocus Love my R7, it's a big step up from an old amateur camera like a Nikon D3200. I never use the whole buffer shooting wildlife, so I don't know why so many people complain about it.
@@Not_Infocus firstly this shutter is whisper quiet compared to the Canon DSLRs, and I can't say I've ever missed a shot because the shutter scared the wildlife away.
The rolling shutter is an issue, but how often are people actually going to shoot 30fps with the ES?, 15fps with the MS is more than enough.
Thank you, this was very informative and covered a lot more than other reviews I've watched so far. It looks like my next camera, just need to decide on a lens now as I won't be able to get more than one to start with - and using my old ones obviously but as I want the most out of the camera, a suitable lens would be great to begin with.
Thanks Duade for the amount of time and effort you put into making these videos. It is very appreciated. You are fast becoming one of my 'go to' channels for learning about photography.
Thanks Pauline, I appreciate the ongoing support, Cheers, Duade
Lol.. dogs breakfast.. aussie slang..i shoot with left eye to.. there is hope for me yet 😆
Thanks Roberto, always a bit of fun to include some aussie slang. Great to hear I am not the only left eye shooter. Cheers, Duade
Have you ever compared R7 to R5 APS-C crop in terms of IQ (details, noise)? In my comparisons I can't see much improvement from R7 (it has heavy AA filter) but I don't have glass that is good enough for such a test, both in terms of resolving power and consistent AF accuracy.
Hi Pawel, you can download the RAW files here 1drv.ms/u/s!ApIjAzjQ9Lc-guQfT5jt9q5uBYl0FA?e=dq9ehK there are some R7 vs R5 comparisons there. In theory they will be similar with the R5 maybe having the edge but the R7 files will be bigger. The R5 is the better overall camera without a doubt, but the R7 just offers bigger files if you are cropping. Cheers, Duade
Thanks, very nice video! Complete and clean explanation!
I watched this review from beginning to end as your info was straight to the point and honest. I think bang for my bucks this would be the best upgrade from eos 6d m2 as I am a casual shooter (family and travel). I have lugged the 6d and the 7d around the globe ending up with tired arms due to weight.
I moved from a 5D4 to the R7. I kept all my good EF lenses. I have had great luck with the 100-400II and both the 1.4 and 2 extenders- both the latest iterations. The thing that absolutely amazed me was using this combination for macro shooting. With the 2X extender, I can focus at about 22 inches at full zoom. I’ve gotten some amazing jumping spider, butterfly, bee, plant etc. shots. It is great to be able to sit in a photo blind waiting to take a BIF or a Bird on water shot and look down at my feet and be able to take a bee on a flower and whip back up to capture black-necked stilts in flight. I was a portrait photographer for 48 years before I retired and took up wildlife. (At least a little wilder than what I was taking before) The R7 is my first mirrorless and I love it. It has taken awhile to figure what works best for me (still adjusting) Your videos have helped a lot. I am getting great pictures. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing Rick, that is wonderful to hear, yes the extenders and AF is pretty incredible, thanks for sharing, Cheers, Duade
I have had the R7 for a month or so now coming from a 7dmarkii.
It's a huge jump up. Auto focus and image quality is brilliant and that's what ef lens. Would recommend it to anyone.
( my only small issue wud be I wish it had better weather sealing etc) but for the price point I can't belive how good the auto focus is. All my images are soo much sharper compared to using the 7dmarkii. Great video .
It would be so nice if Canon released R7 II that adress all the issues of R7 just like they refined R6. Something without AA filter on a sensor, with faster readout speed, uncropped oversampled 4K60p, good looking FullHD 240p, better EVF, bigger buffer and R6II ergonomics.
Thanks, I totally agree, the R7 is good for its price but they could make a better ASPC body with more features at a higher price point. Cheers, Duade
Impressive job on this review. Congrats and thank you, Duade. Brazilian fan here!
Being old and having learned the craft in the 1980's when we had 24 or 36 rolls of film, your thumb did the winding and everything was manual, I have zero need to worry about a buffer 😀
Thank you so much for the review! I have since purchased the R7 with the RF100-400, and your findings are consistent with how it's been for me. I upgraded from the Canon M50 and the gains in autofocus speed and accuracy are a game changer for me. I also learned a new trick from you with the spot AF, since I frequently am photographing birds through brush and leaves, this will help me a lot :)
That is great to hear, congrats on the camera, I am sure it will work well with the RF100-400. Cheers, Duade
I still have the m50 and considering a change soon? Have you tried sigma 150-600 c?
@@lesandisdream5290 With the m50 I have used the contemporary and the super sigma with decent results--though the m50 felt like a credit card taped to a baseball bat (not an ideal fit for a lens of that size). I have yet to try the sigma 150-600 but Duade has tested that more extensively than I think anyone. My next upgrade would probably be trading the 100-400 f8 for the 100-500, or perhaps a prime.
Thanks
Thanks Neil, I really appreciate the support, Cheers, Duade
I also use EF lenses and i have not an adapter with ring. Because i always shoot in M with auto iso i really need a fast way to change exposure compensation as i did using the lever on my 7D2 and 5D4, so i fixed it assigning EC to the DOF button (press it and turn the main dial). It works great, at least till i'll buy the RF 100-500 ;-)
In regards to memory cards, would ProGrade Digital SDXC UHS-II V90 300R Memory Card be ok. I never imagined them to be so expensive.
G'day, yes that is about the fastest and best memory card you can get for the R7. Cheers, Duade
Someone in another R7 said there is a way to use 3 dials by reprogramming it in the settings though.
"Recent discovery - you can have three control dials active at once in the R7's Manual mode to control aperture, shutter speed and ISO simultaneously with the histogram live all the time. Here's how:
This setup relies on using the control ring on the lens as the third control dial, so on lenses like the R7's kit lens that use the control ring for focusing, you sacrifice manual focusing, but with lenses that have separate focus and control rings there's no sacrifice. That's any EF or EF-S lens with the EF to R Control Ring adapter, and any RF lens with both focus and control rings - like my Canon RF 100-400mm lens.
(Actually, other than the two RF-S kit lenses this isn't a problem, since most RF lenses have both rings, and the five that have only one have a switch on the lens to switch its use between Manual Focus and Control Ring.)
To set this up, go to page 6 of the AF tab in the settings screen and set the Focus/Control ring to Control rather than the default Focus setting.
Then go to page 3 of the Camera tab and in Customize Dials you set the three dials up however you like. Since I used a pre-EOS Canon FT-QL for nearly forty years before going digital, and thus I'm used to having an aperture ring on the lens, I set the Control ring on the lens to AV. Since I'm used to setting the shutter speed on the top of the camera, I set the Main Dial to TV, and I put ISO control on the Quick Control Ring around the joystick next to the viewfinder. (Film cameras changed the ISO by changing the film you were using!)
But you can assign those three functions between those three dials however you like.
PS If you frequently want to focus manually with a lens that has only one ring, you can set one of your Custom Settings up to use the Control Ring on the lens for focusing and use the other two control dials however you prefer."
Thanks for sharing the info, I do use the control ring on RF lenses but many people are still using EF lenses which do not have a control ring hence the two control dial issue. But you can get around it using FV mode also. It is not a major issue just it would not have been that hard to add a third dial for manual shooters. Cheers, Duade
Hey Duade, I purchased the RF 100-500 for my R6 M1 after being disappointed by the RF 800mm f11 in some situations. But now I need more reach for songbirds. What is the best option regarding image quality and autofocus between a 1.4x extender on the R6 or a new R7?
Hi Arturo, the R7 will give you a similar FOV as the 800 f11 on your R6 but with the flexibility of the zoom and 7.1. You can use the 1.4 but you lose the 100-300mm range and you cannot retract the lens fully with the extender attached. It becomes a 700 f10 at the long end which is pretty good. Up close the R6 will offer better IQ, AF, Noise performance, rolling shutter, buffer etc over the R7, its only advantage really being the reach it offers for small birds and the increased FPS. For its price the R7 is a nice camera but has its limitations. Ultimately it is up to you to decide what is important to you. Cheers, Duade
Hi Duade, there was a question posed about getting the R7 as an extra body - because of the crop - would you recommend for BIF and for far away small birds? I'm patiently waiting for the "new " r5... but thought the r7 now (trading in my r6) would be an option. I'm worried that the r6 value continues to decline, and that my far away or flying bird images look crummy thank you.
G'day Bianca, a tricky one to answer but the R7 will make those flying birds much bigger, and you often have nice light with BIF so the noise should not be an issue. The R7 is a bit of a paradox as the reach is fantastic, however the rolling shutter can be bad in electronic so using mechanical/EFCS can be used but it is very loud. The AF is not quite as good as the R6 but still works well with eye tracking. I think one just has to be realistic about the performance for the price if that makes sense. Is there any way to rent one or try one first? Cheers, Duade
Would this be a good camera for landscapes? Never owned a mirrorless camera. I want to upgrade from my PowerShot G1X Mk3. I can’t afford FF and want a compact body like the R7.
Hi Scott, being an APSC you will need a wide lens like the RF-S 11-22mm f/4.5-5.6 which is coming early this year, pair that with the R7 and it should be excellent. The RF100-400 would also be excellent. Good luck, Cheers, Duade
My experience is that the R7 does need some improvements, (of course these are artificial flaws, as dictated by the Canon cripple hammer), but as long as I put a great lens on it, it performs great. For the price, I couldn't be happier though.
List of things they NEED on the next real crop body:
Better res viewfinder and LCD screen
Battery grip
Ability to charge via regular 'Ol USB-C attached to my PC like the R5 can do.
More dials, and better constructed ones at that.
MUCH better E-shutter, (maybe we can get BSI stacked sensor like what Fuji has?)
Slot for CF-Express
Actual weather sealing
Quieter mechanical shutter that doesn't sound like garbage jingling in a trash can.
I would gladly pay around $2500 for these features in a crop body. Otherwise, Fuji may be my future.
26:40 that sounds like an incredibly poor implementation of pre-burst... The whole feature feels like an afterthought 😐
Yes, it could have been done a lot better, Cheers, Duade
Hi Duade,
Another excellent review. Am about to take the plunge on the R7 with the RF 100-400. Looking forward the seeing the results.
Thank you and keep up the great work.
Congrats, I would love to hear how you go with it. Cheers, Duade 👍
Hi yes I think I will rent one. "blowing up" the tiny or flying birds on the r6 - most of the images are crummy and my hit rate is low. So I'm trying to figure an alternative - as we have discussed - there are no canon lenses or alternate lenses that can get me closer. I'm using the hefty sigma with a converter now, but birds like bluebirds and other smaller guys I just get a blob.
Have fun with it Bianca, it is a great camera for the price and works well in good light, it just has a few issues with rolling shutter and in low light conditions. Cheers, Duade
Great review, as allways. One little hint: I have the Preburst mode on the M-Fn button. Then I can continue to look through the viewfinder with pressing two additional buttons. Works for me.
Thanks for that, yes, that is quicker, still annoying to have to have multiple button presses and use the menu, a single on/off would be so much quicker. Cheers, Duade
Thanks champion, been battling for ages with a 700D and finally getting to the point were my skill is starting to outgrow the camera. Was looking for something a little better to keep learning with 👍
Thanks for the support, apologies for the delay in responding, Cheers, Duade
I hope you have a chance to review the R8. I'm on the ledge on which to get r8 or r7. Wildlife, scenery, and nightlife stills are what I'm going after.
Thanks, at this stage I have not tried the R8, the lack of a rear joystick makes it very difficult for me to use the camera for wildlife as I like to have the ability to quickly move the focus point without taking my eye from the viewfinder. It does appear to be a nice camera but with comprimeses in terms of battery, layout etc. Cheers, Duade
This is a good camera for the price. That said, I would have gladly traded an extra several hundred dollars for a decent EVF. If you are going to be shooting wildlife, the viewfinder quality/ magnification would be a showstopper for me. I really hope Nikon, when they release their version, will fix this issue. Another issue you brought up was lack of a grip. This is another reason I wouldn't consider it for myself. Maybe for someone with small hands. That will also mean it will balance poorly with long lenses. No thanks. That's really a shame considering the amazing Canon autofocus.
Not to be too harsh with this comment, but it seems like Canon never makes a near pro APC camera. Even in the DSLR days, the 7D MII had a poor sensor with low dynamic range and truly awful low light performance. For example, the Nikon D500 had none of those shortcomings and was far closer to "pro" APC. I think a lot of users would pay more to get something great. Just my opinion. Note that I think Canon makes great gear in general, just not for me with this type of camera.
DEAR DUADE
The link to download the raws is not working! I would like to see these raws, I'm very curious about the Canon EOS R7 ! Thanks.
Hi Douglas, sorry about that, give it a go now. Cheers, Duade
@@Duade Thank you health, I will try again tonight. Congratulations on all the effort and dedication. I'm from Brazil, and I think your videos are excellent.
You’re my favorite wildlife photography account. I loved when you saw the kingfisher. Your excitement and passion for your photography is obvious. You also make everything so visual and that’s how I learn best.
Great to hear Melinda, Cheers, Duade 👍
That was awesome Duade, so much work producing this video. Being a 7Dmk2 owner this is the best upgrade for me. Starting full time work early next year so it is on my shopping list. Thank you for your passion.
Excellent review. I am evaluating to upgrade from my 70D and your video helped me a lot. Thank you.
Hello Duade, will you be reviewing the RP or R in the near future? I'm sure some of us would love your style of reviews for these cameras. Thanks for your videos so far!
Thanks for the feedback, unfortunately I won't be reviewing those cameras as I don't have access to them. Cheers, Duade 👍
Thanks Duade ... Great research and clear explanations of your findings.
I had a budget of $7,500 only. To me the lens is often more important for IQ (and holds its value better) than the camera itself. I moved from Nikon Z6 and D500 with 200- 500 5.6 and 4 other lens, to the R7 with the RF 100-500, 50mm f1.8 and 18-150 kit lens,
I thought that I would later get the R6 (replacing the Z6) for landscapes, astro and portraits But the 24-105 f4 and 16 F2.8 will cost less than the R6 body and will do very well I think on the R7.
The R7's AF is so superior to my old Nikons. This, and the weight factor, are the key points in my change.
Thanks again Duade.
Robbey
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Robbey, congrats on the gear. The 24-105 f4 is a beautiful lens and I really like it for filming. Cheers, Duade
Fantastic and most comprehensive video on the R7 I have seen. Thank you so much. Although the R7 has some limitations compared to the fullframe cameras, I choose the R7 over my R5 for wildlife time and time again. It is such a beast paired with the 100-500
Thanks Aaron, yes as a walk around combo it is excellent. Cheers, Duade
Thank you for your videos, very informative. I have the R7 but I use it with the Sigma 150-600 C, I have good and bad results with it. I am thinking on buying thr canon RF 200-800, but many people say it is no good with the R7.
I went from an R5 to the R7, thinking the extra reach would be a benefit. Comparing images taken at the same location as last year, same bird activity, I have to say it disappoints compared to the R5. The image quality just isn't there. The R5 with a 1.4 teleconverter added to the 100-500mm lens shows feather detail that the R7 using the same lens without the teleconverter does not. Much of the time the feathers are just smudged whereas with the R5 the feathers were tack sharp. As well the noise level at low light levels is unacceptable, even DXO has trouble with the noise. I use shutter speeds of 1/2000 to 1/4000 second to capture birds in flight, electronic shutter only. Think I'll go back to the R5.
Great Review Duade and thanks. I also use the FV mode in-stead of M mode on the R7, and I am fine with that. I get the best resultat with the R7 together with my RF 100-500 lens. Cheers Per
Thanks for that Per, good to know, Cheers, DUade
I have been looking for a second body to my R5 for going on an African safari, and I'm looking at the R7, R6, and R6II. In theory I could afford either one of them, but of course money spent on a body cannot be spent on other things. I do have 2 more Canon DSLR bodies (6D and 7DII) which I've taken in previous safaris and they are still fully functional. So this new second body is a nice to have but not really absolutely essential. So I wonder what would you take as your second body. Tnx in advance.
Hi Dimitris, if you are still using EF lenses then the 7D2 would be a good backup, I suggest you will use the R5 nearly all the time. The R7 is a good camera but after using the R5 it is hard to go back to be honest as the AF, IQ etc just isn't the same as you would expect. The R62 is a great camera and competes very well with the R5 but lacks the megapixels. I do like mine though. Good luck, Cheers, Duade
@@Duade tnx
Hi Duade, I am just about to purchase this camera to use with a 100-400ii would you suggest I purchase either the cheaper mount adapter or the control ring adapter. I mainly photograph birds and wildlife.Thanks Tony
Tony, it really depends how you set your exposure, it would be nice to have a third control ring to adjust the aperture if you shoot in manual mode but I have found shooting in FV mode using the two dials works well. If you don't have one getting a 1.4x III extender is well worth the investment as a 140-560 f/8 is very handy on the R7 and the AF works well with that combo. Good luck, Cheers, Duade
@@Duade thanks for the response, I usually shoot in manual with auto iso, so I think I may go for the cheaper ef toro mount adapter, I will let you know how I get on,
Cheers
Tony
Hi Duade. Love the video. This is high on my want list. But a question. The R10. Can that camera be an option for wildlife or have Canon compromised too much on the spec? Thanks!!!
Hi Frans, to be honest, I think they have, the camera is tiny, the rolling shutter is bad, viewfinder is tiny, the R7 is far superior and well worth saving for. Cheers, Duade
I'm a novice at this. I was wondering if this would be a good camera for videoing at Airshows? Maintain focusing on a fast moving aircraft would be important.
G'day, the AF should work for aircraft, I do find it difficult to handhold video with the R7, the R6II is much better for handheld video. If on a tripod they should work well. Good luck, Cheers, Duade
@@Duade ok many thanks
Hi Duade, Fantastic review of the R7! Just wondering what autofocus case you've settled on? I've experimented with Cases 1 and 2, and the Auto setting, but I can't decide which is giving the best results. Many thanks :)
Hi Psyberg, I have been using Case 2 on the R7, seems to be ok, many use Auto as well I believe. Cheers, Duade
@@Duade Thank you very much, Duade :)
@Duade: the APS-C IBIS may be more challenged because similar hand shake is worse in reference to the size of the sensor. Your high megapixel comment goes a bit in that direction.
This is an awesome review! I have an R7 and looked at many reviews before deciding to pick one up to replace my 40D that passed away. Duade's review blows all the other reviews out of the water. It is so much more detailed and really very helpful with many practical tips. Respect!
Even with the 18-150 kit lens I made some amazing bird shots. This camera at that price point is an amazing deal.
simply love it !!
When you say if you want to spend a little bit more get the OM-1 or XH2s or R6 II.. by the time you've paid for the way more expensive Canon lenses you are better off financially getting those better stacked sensor cameras. For me that already has Canon lenses I still think I want those better other brand cameras. Not worth getting into a closed R system. For example Tamron 100-500mm Sony version is a third of the price of the Canon 100-500mm or for the XH2s the 100-500mm is less than half price. So always factor in the Camera plus your primary lens for price comparison. Great video by the way.
Thanks, yes, that Tamron lens is incredible for the price, just be aware Sony does restrict the FPS on that lens which is unfortunate, however 15fps I think is still plenty fast. I am hoping to get my hands on Fuji, Sony and Olympus in the coming months as I would love to try those systems. Cheers, Duade
@@Duade Yeah look forward to your new reviews great job and plenty of detail. I still have my 7D II and 100-400mm II I'm about to pay off my mortgage so in the coming months going for the OM-1 way lighter system getting old.. giving my sons the old Canon stuff.
@@naturealbums R7+ 100-500 is now a challenger for m43. a possible killer with the 100-400 RF or the 800/11?
I have an ancient 2008 Canon Rebel XSi (EOS 450D) DSLR. I recently discovered the joy of wildlife photography, with the emphasis mostly on birds. Dusting off my old teenage camera a few years ago, taking pics of wildlife is quite a challenge and I figured now is the time to finally upgrade. The R7 seems like the perfect price point to jump to, starting with my ancient EF-S 55-250 IS lens, with the RF 100-400 to save up for. Re-learning what's changed in the camera space over all these years has been quite a challenge but thanks to your vids, Duade, I feel completely confident in my choices. Thank you so much for your detailed reviews and talking about comparability, pros, cons, and stunning example photos by yourself and viewers. Sending my love from Canada.
Thanks for the support Justin, your comment made me smile and I wish you all the best with your camera. Cheers, Duade
Hi Duade which SD cards do you recommend for the R7?
G'day David, ideally V90 SD cards, 126GB or 256GB if you can afford it. That extra speed of the v90 will clear the buffer much faster. I personally use Prograde but most brands are pretty good. Cheers, Duade
Ye i think they dropped a bollock and for a few dollars more they could have had a real winner . Canon you need to get the R7 MkII ASAP and this time with a battery grip.
Excellent video I watch nearly all of them and I have the R7 on order, my only concern is like the R6 will it be updated with 2 years of coming out, and the delay in getting the R7 is horrendous I've been waiting months. However, that aside your videos are excellent and thinks for the effort you put in.
Yes my R7 took 5 months
Thanks Harry, the demand is so strong for the R7 I can't see it being replaced quickly, I suspect they will milk this for some time. The R6 I think was struggling a little due to the R7 and R5 being so good. The R62 now makes it competitive. Cheers, Duade
I just bought the R7 and after taking a few test shots tried to process them using the latest version of Canon's Digital Photo Professional 4. I found that DDP 4 had a difficult time dealing with the CR3 files that this camera creates. Then the photo displayer I have used for over 15 years, Irfanview, could not accept CR3 files.
I thought perhaps some of your members and viewers might not know this about the R7. The issue of Canon's creating an entirely new RAW file format is NEVER mentioned in any review of this, or the other R series cameras, that I've seen. Perhaps this is because all of these reviewers use Lightroom to process all of their photos so they've never dealt with this issue?
For me, after struggling all last evening to format the camera using very different dials and Q setup, this issue with the CR3 was a deal breaker for me. This camera and the RF 100-500mm lens I bought with it are, unfortunately, going back to B&H Photo for a refund. 😵😒
Sorry to hear your struggles. DPP is a terrible piece of software. There are a few other free programs to edit the RAW files or you can invest in some paid software. I know it's tough paying for the Lightroom subscription but for me it's worth it. Cheers, Duade 👍
@@Duade the issue isn't money. I have looked at Lightroom; I even OWN Lightroom 6 when I saw where the whole Lr thing was going to subs. I still remember something my Daddy once said, "I don't pay interest, I collect it".
DPP might be "terrible" but Canon made it and says that RAW.cr3 can be processed with it. It wasn't just the RAW files issue either; that was just the one I thought was particularly important as I've never ever seen it noted in ANY reviews. Like it's not impt. enough to even mention. There were other things about the R7 and the whole mirrorless system of Canon's. I hate the elect. viewfinder for example. What "other free programs" were you thinking of?
I can understand how someone like you would not like DPP 4 - it's incredibly primitive compared with Lr. I'm thinking of all the post-processing work that you and Jann do! That said, I often take "good enough" images so that I need to do very little post-processing as far as IQ is concerned. Now if you are looking at some of the wizardry that you and Jann do, then yeah sure.
I reckon one of the elephants in the room for me is (a) I'm a natural born technophobe in general (I just got my first Android which I still can't work), and (b) I'm an "Old Dog" at 74 and am not partial to "new tricks".
@@fgb3126 RawTherapee and Gimp are two that come to mind. The EVF does take some adapting but having live exposure in the viewfinder is fantastic and makes it much harder to blow your white. It took me a little while to adapt but I am used to it now. DPP has always been inferior to nearly all other programs, it is clunky and slow and I don't know why Canon persist with it. Cheers, Duade
@@Duade Thank you for your prompt reply! Wow! What time is it in Wangaratta? 🙃Oooo! 5:40 a.m. You must be a morning person.
I'll check out the two you mention. As far as DPP 4 is concerned, when I began this odyssey with the R7 I had been wishing that there was some post processor between DPP and Lr, like maybe a DPP 5 even. But again, if someone can work Lr then our whole discussion is on two very different, separate levels anyway.
As for "blowing whites", ain't that what blinkies are for? 😉
@@fgb3126 Yep, early bird catches the worm as they say. :-) Yes, blinkies are very helpful, but with an EVF we don't need to check them or remove our eye from the viewfinder as we can see the exposure and histogram as we shoot. :-) Cheers, Duade
This is really an excellent review of the Canon R7. I usually shoot with an R3/R5 but I was thinking of bringing my wife's R7 to Costa Rica next month because with her EF 100-400 4.5-5.6 I could shoot at 600mm at f5.6. Do you think this combination of the R7 +100-400mm would be a good combination? I will also bring my R3 with the 100-500mm. I wanted to avoid the hassle & weight of renting the 600mm f4--thank you
Hi Duade. You mentioned the OM1 as an alternative towards the end of the video. I have been thinking of this with the 100-400m Olympus lens. Have you used the OM1 at all?
Hi John, not at this stage but I have contacted Olympus and waiting to hear back, the camera itself I think is without competition at the moment with its features. I hope to try it soon if I can. Cheers, Duade
@@Duade The Pro capture feature looks particularly interesting. Many thanks for your video. As always I found it very interesting and useful. No bias just an honest review.
Im a happy OM-1 user :) in the past i used Canon 5D, 7Dmkll and Nikon Z7.
The 150-400 tc is an uniq lens
@@ulflundh_birdsandnature It is just the price of the lens that is the big concern!! The 100-400mm is much more affordable.
excellent review
@Duade great video as usual. Just a note to confirm that you can program one of the button like the to switch the RAW Burst mode on and off. I have set it up and it is really practical.
Thanks, yes, you can and I should have mentioned that, as it is much faster. You still lose live view whilst turning it off which is annoying and waiting for the buffer is a real pain. Cheers, Duade
Great video Duade! Thank you for your in depth review.
I am currently considering my next wildlife setup to consist of the R7 and the Canon 300mm f2.8 IS USM. Therefore i would love to see you try it out. That is of course only possible if you are in posession of the 300mm.
To me it seems that what would be 480mm f2.8 is a great deal, considered the price of this setup. What are your thoughts?
Thank you:)
Best regards Sven from Denmark.
HOW could you take that kingfisher while mine are spooked even when i'm under hide/cover/shelter from 50m away. Birds in Australia are insane !
King parrot was easy to spot : lot of nois in the first shot. But still a great picture once cleaned in DxO.
Great video Duade. Thanks again for including one of my images!
Side note last night while out shooting some whitetail deer I discovered that at least by default the R7 does not switch to card 2 when card 1 is full. Both my cards were setup to shoot craw and card 2 was basically empty. All the camera did was say card 1 full and i had to quickly get into menu while a buck was walking toward me to change to card 2. I nearly missed some great shots and fully missed the chance to get a video clip to go with my photos.
I haven't figured out if I can set it to auto switch to card 2 but thought it may be a good thing for you to mention in a video so people are aware.
I also have had a few more issues with R7 in cold than my 90d. It was abut 15 degrees f past week and the r7 "froze" up a few times and I had to toggle on and off to get it working again. Cant remember my 90d ever doing that and the r7 never did it before so have to assume its the cold weather
It is my pleasure, it was an awesome shot, yes, not switching is just silly and I don't think there is anyway for it to switch automatically which seems odd. Hopefully someone might know a way. I get the odd freeze but not very often, mainly with EF lenses, Cheers, Duade
You mentioned if one had a bit more money they could buy the X-H2s. I am just wondering why you did not recommend the X-H2 instead?
G'day, both are nice cameras and the larger MP of the X-H2 are great but for wildlife I would prefer the stacked sensor of the X-H2s for less rolling shutter, the buffer and FPS are also excellent. Cheers, Duade
@@Duade Thanks Duade. It makes sense. One more reason why I gravitate towards X-H2s. Cheers
How would you compare battery life in both?
I don't have an issue with battery life, I usually get a full 3 hour session with thousands of photos per battery. Always have a spare of course but not a drama really. Cheers, Duade
Hi Duade! I mostly considering an upgrade from R10 to R7 based on your videos. What do you think the difference is in minimum shutter speed due to IBIS? I use a sigma 150-600 with the R10 and handholding it, I can capture a sharp branched bird at 1/800, very rare occasions at 1/640, but I rarely risk that, only if the bird sits there for a long time to experiment with that since it is a really low keeper rate, so lets stick with the 1/800. What do you think I can reach with the R7 based on that? Maybe 1/500? I saw that honeyeeter you took at 1/320, which is absurd for this kit, for me, but I guess it is 500mm and that lens has probably better stabilization to begin with.
Hello Duade have you used the R7 with a Canon EF 500mm F4L IS USM ? my question is do you know if it works with a Canon Extender EF 1.4X III as I`ve just got the camera & Lens and wondered if it was worth getting the extender for a bit more reach
Unfortunately I have not used the V1 500 with any RF camera. In theory the primes take converters very well and I use one all the time on my V2 without issue however I have no experience with V1. The converter to me is well worth the investment as 700 5.6 is a nice Focal Length. Cheers, Duade
@@Duade Thanks for the reply I may as well give it a try but on the R7 does 500mm equate to 800mm ? sorry for the questions Duade I`ve always used Nikon but I`m not getting the Z9 so thought after watching your vids I`d give the R7 a try and I do like big primes hence the old mk1 500mm
@@molnjoe1613 G'day, the R7 has a 1.6 crop factor for the field of view. So a 500mm focal length gives a field of view of 800mm(500x1.6) in the viewfinder. Cheers, Duade
Sir, will preburst work with backbutton focus? Thank you...
Yes, when you half depress the shutter button it should start buffering. Cheers, Duade
@@Duade Thank you very much, Sir, and respect and greetings from the Netherlands!
I'm not sure I agree that the R7 is directly more comparable to the 90D than the 7D. Sure, it has a less weather sealed body and doesn't have the option for a battery grip. But the rest of its features (dual card slots, no built-in flash, high frame rates and fast maximum shutter speed) put it more in line with the 7D (or comparing it to an r6 (II) and maybe even an r5).
I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out Canon's tiering system. It was so simple back in the day... the 1 series flagship, the 5 series prosumer, the x0 series (up to the 50D) as the prosumer crop sensor, and the Rebels as an introductory model. Then they had to go splitting that prosumer crop line into the 7 series, which I still consider the successor of the 50D, and the 60/70/80/90D which took that line a step back, in my opinion. Oy.
Now we have an R1 (coming), R3, and R5 as pro models, R6, R7, R8 as prosumer models, and R 10+ as introductory models. Let's hope it doesn't get more complicated.
Outstanding review...!! I have the R7 and read the manual before I bought this camera but your review was so enlightening... huge thanks for your efforts Duade... 🙏🏻 I use a Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS USM 11 with this camera and the results are outstanding. I also use FV value pretty much all the time now as it's so intuitive and I too usually only shoot manual... For birds in flight, in FV mode... I set the shutter speed to 1/2000 sec and the aperture to f/6.3 and let the AUTO ISO change according to the light conditions (I max out the Auto ISO to 6400 ) ...works like a dream... Happy days...
Thanks Gerry, good to know, glad to hear you are so happy with it, Cheers, Duade
It sure would be interesting to hear what your settings are for the R7 Duade for shooting birds... I know everyone is individual but you have taken way more images than most folk with the R7 (me included) so effectively you are more experienced with the R7's quirks... just a thought...huge thanks again... 🙏🏻